Blair must see the point

By John Oaksey

5:49PM GMT 11 Jan 2001

NO DOUBT, in all his think tanks, spin surgeries and other politically correct devices, Tony Blair has someone, more likely some computer, thinking through the probable long-term effects of his off-the-cuff remarks - at least the ones which develop legislative proposals likely to alter our lives.

The last 10 days, as he may or may not have noticed, have seen the annual beginning of an outdoor countryside spectator sport which, between now and June 16 will provide entertainment and excitement for hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. Though encouraged, age permitting, to have a flutter and a drink they will not be breaking any laws and, except for getting into and, just occasionally, getting towed out of the car park, most of them will now pay for entrance.

Because, you see, apart from a handful of Clubs and "Areas," very nearly all these points (around 200 of them all over the British Isles) are run by Hunts with the purpose partly if not entirely of feeding and funding the local pack of hounds. And in almost every case a large proportion of the volunteer unpaid helpers (you need about 100 to stage a point-to-point) give their time and labour free to support and help the Hunt.

Then, don't forget, a point takes up quite a lot of space. The course and car parks cover several acres and not all working farmers nowadays appreciate the condition in which a thousand or so cars can leave your would-be hay field.

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But that's not all, not by a long chalk. To begin with each horse which runs in a point at present needs a certificate from the Master or Secretary that it has been "regularly and fairly hunted" for a certain number of days. There is, admittedly, a certain amount of leeway in the required amount (and quality!) of "qualification." It can, so I've heard, be adjusted in proportion with the would-be qualifier's subscription until, as Adam Lindsay Gordon wrote (or was it Will Ogilvy?)

"He calls `hunted fairly' a horse that has barely been stripped for a trot within sight of the hounds. A horse which at Warwick, beat Birdlime and Yorick And gave Abd-el-Kader, at Aintree, five pounds..."

Abd-el-Kader won two Grand Nationals so this must have been some pointer-to-pointer. Although, as Andrew Baker pointed out in Monday's Telegraph, Aintree form is not infallible. Call It A Day, third in one National and sixth in another, failed to get round at Tweseldown on Sunday.

Which reminds me of another important purpose served by point-to-points. They are not only first-rate kindergartens for young horses (and young jockeys!) but also serve as active retirement homes for old chasers like Call It A Day. They can make wonderful schoolmasters, giving novice riders an invaluable "safe jump round."

Point-to-points, in fact, are a splendid, thoroughly enjoyable sporting day out - a day which, unlike an anti-hunting law, brings together town and country, rich and poor, toffs and yobs without the need for any policing. Indeed, a ban on hunting will give our overworked police force a divisive, unpopular law which it neither can nor, I suspect, wishes to enforce.

I'm not suggesting that pointing will die out altogether. It is far too popular for that and no doubt even an outright ban on hunting would not stop clubs and similar bands of enthusiasts springing up. But it will still be different, less enjoyable, almost certainly much more expensive and, if Mr Blair will pardon the expression, less British.

Are he and his colleagues really so keen to condemn foxes to a lingering, painful death from gas, traps, gangrene or lead poisoning? They are not at all easy to shoot you know - and if you don't think people will try, you can never have seen a hen-run after Mr Fox has paid it a visit.